The countdown to the world’s biggest tech show is over, CES 2018 is officially underway. I'm currently here in Vegas, baby, with about 4,000 exhibitors from around the world showcasing their latest innovations for the coming year. It’s safe to say, the future is already here in Sin City. As predicted, it’s full of gadgets, gizmos, and tech that’s meant to make our lives better, easier, and efficient.

From a truly connected home that can save you time and money to high-tech retail, augmented reality makeup mirrors and self-driving cars, CES delves into the world of technology to bring consumers the best of what is out there.

We’re a week deep into 2018 and it’s already shaping up to be very exciting for consumers thanks to vast improvements that will finally deliver on the promise of tech simplifying our lives. Before I go roaming around the showrooms, here are the seven products I’m most excited to see and watching closely ... so let’s get to it!

Smart Home

Every year we see our homes get smarter, but this year companies are kicking it up a notch from the usual doorknobs and control over the lighting, and to our showers. Can you think of a better gadget to start your daily routine? The theme in 2018 is personalization, consumers want to bring home a device that offers a personalized experience, leveraging the cloud, AI and computer vision to create more in-home and friendly device.

Let’s be honest, nothing’s better than a warm shower to start your morning or wind-down at the end the day, until we find ourselves sitting in the bathroom while waiting for the water to heat up. Last year, Moen announced their new smart shower system that fixes this by adding the ability to remotely start the shower, even before ever stepping in. With just a few taps on your smartphone, the U by Moen let’s you pre-heat the water temperature. It's— in two words— luxurious and personalized.

This year, Moen is unveiling, U by Moen’s new voice activation features. By allowing consumers to integrate their shower with automated systems, Moen takes the digital showering experience to the next level. Homeowners can have the shower incorporated into their smart home ecosystem, and enjoy the ease and convenience of a totally connected lifestyle. With up to 12 customizable presets, control their shower anyway they like: with their voice, the smartphone app, Amazon Alexa capability—or the in shower controller. Once the water warms up to their perfect temperature, the shower can pause the water until the consumer is ready to get in.

Another notable one from Moen, their new MotionSense Wave, so you can wave hello to a hands-free kitchen faucet. I never really thought about installing a hands-free faucet in my home until I recently got married and started cooking more often. Everyone needs this! The faucet is equipped with MotionSense Wave technology, perfect for when your hands are too full or too messy to turn on the faucet. This functionality also helps to minimize the spread of dirt and germs, since there’s no need to touch the faucet to start the flow of water.

I will be partnering with Moen and taking over their Instagram, be on the lookout for that!

Better Laptops Than Ever Before

CES isn't just about TV's, cars and drones. This year, we will see a lot of new announcements about laptops.

A few months back Dell invited me to their HQ and gave me an sneak peek of its next XPS 13 laptop ahead of CES 2018, showing off the 13-inch Ultrabook's incredibly thin and modern design. It’s the smallest and most powerful laptop for its size and class — and it is beautiful.

It’s called Dell Cinema and let’s just say, Dell is breaking the mold of where technology can live with millennials and how it fits all their lifestyles.

Augmented Reality

If one thing is certain, this year, we will not see dozens of new iterations on Google Glass. To be honest, I am not the biggest fan of VR and the goggle. So much so, that I noticed this year, less companies are showcasing their VR tech, except for tech giants like Intel hosting an entire press conference in VR and Samsung offering virtual reality-powered roller coaster rides. Instead, augmented reality is taking the spotlight and offering a new, high-end vision of future tech. Want to see the weather report for the week, have a list of to-do errands before school starts, or watch tonight’s football game? Augmented reality is taking these every-day requests to the next level. Epson is unveiling a new version of its Moverio AR glasses and I’m excited to see smaller companies use this as a chance to shine.

5G Wireless Technology

Most of our phones are running on 4G technology, you know…those broadband link wireless speeds you're getting on your phone as you endlessly scroll on your IG feed. Now you can say hello to 5G, which stands for fifth-generation wireless technology. Can you see I am excited abou less buffering and more speed?

With technology booming (I know, it’s hard to stay caught up), a faster 5G wireless technology plan is also underway. Tech giants like Qualcomm,Intel and Ericsson will showcase the applications we can expect from 5G and what it means for us. Don’t fret, though, word on the street is that this year there will no longer be a need for charging cables as there is a new feature enabling wireless tech to charge within 3 feet of the power source. Way to make us all feel a little lazy…

Entertainment

It’s always a big show for televisions. As if HD isn’t enough, this CES we'll see big screens with even bigger price tags. We’ll also see a boost in HDR, high definition range that will be affordable for more TVs. HDR boosts a TV’s contrast and color, making images pop more prominently and generally improving the viewing experience. This year, LG will be showcasing the first 88-inch 8K OLED display, read: the largest and highest-resolution OLED panel to date. And who said television was dead?

Wearable Technology

In the last few years, wearing your technology has become quite the trend. Now more than ever consumers are integrating their health, fitness, and cellular devices onto their everyday wearable products, and this trend is only growing (even in the beauty department). With a focus on dedication to health, the wearable tech we’re expecting to see go beyond fitness trackers, they’re going deep into the undergarments with smart underwear that measure blood pressure and even track sleep patterns (let’s admit, we all could use help in that department)! There will also be a designated health and wellness zone this year on the showroom floor, where consumers can utilize sleep gadgets and the other newly designed health and wellness products.

This year Samsung will also introduce three new health tech products at CES, but I am most excited to see the GoBreath. It’s a device that looks like an inhaler that teaches patients with lung damage techniques to help with their post-op recovery. The device also checks their lung recovery and allows doctors to monitor that recovery remotely.

Self-driving Cars

We may not be seeing self driving cars any time soon, due to safety regulations, but we will be seeing connected cars, thanks to the features of technology inside the cars.

Byton will be showcasing its all new first-ever electric SUV at this year’s CES. Many other car companies will be at CES showing off autonomous shuttles, self-driving technologies, electric scooters, and other futuristic transportation ideas as well. Speaking of cars, Lyft is soon offering rides in semi-autonomous cars. Sign me up!

That’s just a teaser for what’s to come— stay tuned this week for more exciting tech stuff to come!

What are you most excited to see? Leave a comment below! I'll be posting on Instagram and Twitterso you can follow along with me!

JESSICA NAZIRI

You know that one friend you have, who you always go to for tech tips, the trendiest gadgets, or the best app to organize your life? Imagine that tech-savvy stylish friend, wrapped up into a blog. Add some LA flavor, years of writing about tech, and you’ve got my blog dedicated to the intersection of tech and lifestyle.

Here you'll find all things chic, geek, and everything in-between. Whether you're a tech-pro or a newbie, this is the perfect place for you gadget lovers. We feature new product reviews, interview empowering women, and more!